пятница, 5 июля 2013 г.

Home and Away: Turkish delight for France this evening

France captain Paul Pogba will be desperate to lead his side into the Quarter Finals tonight

Jonno Turner previews action in the Europa League and U20s World Cup as he scours the globe looking for profit...

We're off to Wales for our first pick of the day, as Bala Town begin their continental campaign with the visit of Estonian Meistriliiga leaders Levadia Tallinn in the first round of the Europa League qualifying stage.

Colin Caton's Welsh side won the Premier League in style last season, and that has given them the opportunity to try their hand on the European stage - as they aim to maintain a formidable run on their own patch.

The Maes Tegid side will line up for this clash at Rhyl's Belle Vue stadium as their own patch is not up to standard for this encounter - and I reckon that could cost the part-timers.

Bala lost last year's top scorer Lee Hunt to Prestatyn Town over the close season, and with John Irving also leaving the club to move to New Zealand, it remains to be seen how the Gwynedd side will adapt to life without them.

Five clean sheets on the bounce certainly stands the hosts in good stead ahead of this game, but 12 goals shipped in the five outings previous to that run shows that the home side does have weaknesses at the back - and could be susceptible to the threat of their visitors here.

Levadia Tallinn travel from the Estonian capital in excellent form themselves - and 19 wins from their last 23 has seen them race into the lead at the top of the Meistriliiga.

Marko Kristal's side have kept five clean sheets from seven, and, importantly, have prior European experience, which could give them the edge here.

The away side have faced the likes of Galatasaray, Newcastle United and FC Twente in continental encounters over the last six or seven years, and will be well aware of what it takes to make an impact in this competition.

And nine wins from their last 12 away from the Kadriorg Stadium will give them real hope of leaving Wales with an advantage, here.

Bet 1: Levadia Tallinn (AWAY) @ 2

Switching our attentions to action in Gaziantep now, and the U20 World Cup - as France fact hosts Turkey in the second round of the competition.

The French line up for this clash after finishing second in their group, behind pre-tournament favourites Spain - and although they showed flashes of brilliance during their opening three outings, one feels as though they never really got out of first gear.

Pierre Mankowski's side welcome back captain Paul Pogba for this clash, and will be desperate to bounce back from a 2-1 loss against the Spanish in their final group game.

But Les Bleuets are an excellent side on paper, and I feel that they have more than enough quality to launch a real challenge for the trophy this year.

Turkey go into this one with the weight of a host nation's expectation on their shoulders - and it remains to be seen how Feyyaz Ucar's side react to that pressure.

They looked shaky towards the end of their 2-1 defeat of Australia last time out, and tend to suffer from inconsistency - having won just three of their last seven games.

Indeed, they have not won back to back games for over seven years, and although they held their own against a strong Colombia side in the group stage, I think they could get found out against the quality of the French.

Bet 2: France U20 (HOME) @ 2.25

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